Benjamin I. Schwartz
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Isadore Schwartz (December 12, 1916 – November 14, 1999) was an American
academic, author and sinologist
.
in 1938 in modern languages, with an honors thesis on Pascal and the XVIIIth century "philosophes" and started a career in school teaching before studying Japanese
during the Second World War and working on code-breaking. After the war he studied an M.A. in East Asian studies at Harvard and went on to gain a Ph.D. there.
In 1983-1984, Schwartz served as acting director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies
.
A festschrift
in his honour was held after his retirement, and published in 1990 as Ideas across cultures: essays on Chinese thought in honor of Benjamin I. Schwarz (ISBN 9780674442252) and published by the Harvard University Asia Center
.
He wrote principally on recent situations in China. His first book in that area was Chinese communism and the rise of Mao (1951), held in 1546 academic libraries. He subsequently wrote: Communism and China; ideology in flux published by Harvard University Press in 1968, held in 929 libraries according to WorldCat
, and edited the symposium Reflections on the May Fourth movement: a symposium. East Asian Research Center, Harvard University; distributed by Harvard University Press, 1972. Near the end of his career in 1996 he wrote China and Other Matters Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press
He also wrote on earlier periods. His 1985 book The World of Thought in Ancient China was published by Harvard University Press, and is held in 850 libraries, according to WorldCat. It was reviewed in The American Historical Review, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies
, China Quarterly, The Journal of Asian Studies, Philosophy East and West
, Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews,, and The Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs.
/WorldCat
encompasses roughly 80+ works in 200+ publications in 7 languages and 8,000+ library holdings
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
academic, author and sinologist
Sinology
Sinology in general use is the study of China and things related to China, but, especially in the American academic context, refers more strictly to the study of classical language and literature, and the philological approach...
.
Educational background
Schwartz graduated from Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1938 in modern languages, with an honors thesis on Pascal and the XVIIIth century "philosophes" and started a career in school teaching before studying Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
during the Second World War and working on code-breaking. After the war he studied an M.A. in East Asian studies at Harvard and went on to gain a Ph.D. there.
Career
Schwartz was a member of the Harvard faculty, teaching in Cambridge until he retired in 1987.In 1983-1984, Schwartz served as acting director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies
Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies
The Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University is a post-graduate research center promoting the study of modern and contemporary China from a social science perspective. -History:...
.
A festschrift
Festschrift
In academia, a Festschrift , is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during his or her lifetime. The term, borrowed from German, could be translated as celebration publication or celebratory writing...
in his honour was held after his retirement, and published in 1990 as Ideas across cultures: essays on Chinese thought in honor of Benjamin I. Schwarz (ISBN 9780674442252) and published by the Harvard University Asia Center
Harvard University Asia Center
The Harvard University Asia Center is an interdisciplinary research and education unit of Harvard University, established on July 1, 1997, with the goal of "driving varied programs focusing on international relations in Asia and comparative studies of Asian countries and regions and supplementing...
.
He wrote principally on recent situations in China. His first book in that area was Chinese communism and the rise of Mao (1951), held in 1546 academic libraries. He subsequently wrote: Communism and China; ideology in flux published by Harvard University Press in 1968, held in 929 libraries according to WorldCat
WorldCat
WorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...
, and edited the symposium Reflections on the May Fourth movement: a symposium. East Asian Research Center, Harvard University; distributed by Harvard University Press, 1972. Near the end of his career in 1996 he wrote China and Other Matters Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press
He also wrote on earlier periods. His 1985 book The World of Thought in Ancient China was published by Harvard University Press, and is held in 850 libraries, according to WorldCat. It was reviewed in The American Historical Review, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies
Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies
The Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies is an English-language scholarly journal published by the Harvard-Yenching Institute. HJAS features articles and book reviews of current scholarship in East Asian Studies, focusing on Chinese, Japanese, and Korean history, literature and religion, with...
, China Quarterly, The Journal of Asian Studies, Philosophy East and West
Philosophy East and West
Philosophy East and West is an international, interdisciplinary academic journal that seeks to promote literacy on non-Western traditions of philosophy in relation to Anglo-American philosophy. Philosophy defined in terms of cultural traditions broadly integrates the professional discipline with...
, Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews,, and The Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs.
Selected works
In a statistical overview derived from writings by and about Benjamin Schwartz, OCLCOCLC
OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. is "a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing information costs"...
/WorldCat
WorldCat
WorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...
encompasses roughly 80+ works in 200+ publications in 7 languages and 8,000+ library holdings
- Chinese Communism and the Rise of Mao (1951)
- In search of wealth and power: Yen Fu and the West (1964)
- Communism and China; ideology in flux (1968)
- The World of Thought in Ancient China (1985)
- The secret speeches of Chairman Mao : from the hundred flowers to the great leap forward by Zedong Mao (1989)
- Reflections on the May Fourth movement: a symposium (1972)
- China's Cultural Values (1985)
- China and other matters (1996)